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His Love

Sketched VI Day 8 Danielle

October 9, 2019 by Guest Writer Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Romans 8:1-11
Ephesians 4:17-32
Zechariah 8:1-23

Sketched VI, Day 8

I grew up in the Kansas City, KS, metro area and was raised by my mom and stepdad as my mom and biological father had divorced when I was three.  My dad suffered from substance abuse and depression, and was physically and emotionally abusive, and also adulterous. However, once my mom remarried, my home life was safe, Christ-centered, very strict and structured.

My sister and I were enrolled in a Christian school during our elementary years. I made very close friends, had wonderful Sunday school teachers at church, where we attended weekly, and my parents lovingly taught us about Christ and our need for a Savior.

I gave my heart to Jesus when I was five years old. I still remember reading the prayer of salvation with my mom and little sister, found within a small paper booklet, and was so excited to have Jesus living in my heart! I have fond memories and was very happy for most of my early childhood days.

Around 12 years old, my stress level increased.
I started attending public school and lost contact with my biological father all together. Up until that time he had been fairly regular with our bi-weekly visits. I also became overly aware of how different I was growing up in an upper middle class, basically all-white community as a bi-racial youth. With all of these personal stressors spinning uncontrollably inside, I became highly anxious and easily worked up, all of which I took out on my parents.

In high school, I hung out with “popular kids” and dated older guys. I played club soccer year-around in addition to four years of varsity, and traveled for college showcases.
My need for perfectionism, approval, and obsessive tendencies began here.

Although I was very busy, I still made time to party, drink alcohol, and sneak out and smoke. My grades were excellent and I excelled at my sport, so my parents had no idea of my “weekend self”.  I was committed to this double life.

But the shame and guilt I carried as I walked into church each week eventually led me to stop attending youth group and push away my wonderful, God-loving friends.
I no longer fit in. 

My collegiate years were much the same with a hyper-focus on getting all A’s, while also intent on being the best party and sorority girl.
This was what I was good at, being the “fun friend.”
My double life was in high-gear and I made no attempt to refocus my life on Christ as Sundays were spent recovering from the weekend.
In my freshman year of college, I began dating my now-husband, Ben. After college, Ben was drafted and my double-life habits continued.
I was the best at my job, but also the best party girl.

With Ben gone, I was too lonely and full of shame every weekend, laying around feeling sick from partying, to face the truth.
I needed Christ, or I would never be happy.
Ever.

Which I knew!
Believe me, those parents who raised me in the church would constantly remind me, pray for me, and beg God to change my hardened heart.

Fast forward.

Ben and I married, and years later I became pregnant with Hart, my oldest.
Having a son completely broke me, bringing me to my knees.
I wanted my child to know Christ and be raised in a house full of His love like I had been.

For years, I had slammed the door on the Holy Spirit.
I screamed at myself to make better decisions, to get back into church, to repent.
At last, I turned back.
And I was restored! 
Finally.

My first Bible study was with my mom over phone and email, as we still lived states apart.
I began PRAYING to be more loving to my spouse and to crave reading God’s Word.

Slowly through the work of God’s renewing Holy Spirit, I began climbing out of the body I was had been living in, and hating. I was morphing into the woman He always wanted me to be; Christ was making me new! I was connected with Him, deeply loved, and learning to find my worth in God instead of my own performance.

God wonderfully took the YEARS I’d wasted living in sin and completely washed them away.  He freed me from the shame of my lifestyle, the guilt of my decisions, and the sense that I could never go back to Christ because I was too far from Him.
He freed me fearing of what people (“friends”) would think about me for changing core aspects of me. I realize now He will use the rest of my life to keep remaking me and influencing others for His glory!

My life is an on-going, amazing testimony of His gracious hand.
Although I wasted much, the best is yet to come! 

When jealousy pops up for those who have been in communion with Christ or serving Him since their youth, I’m reminded that God wastes nothing, even when I wasted much while chasing worthless idols and focusing on myself.

My decision to follow Christ has blessed every part of my life; it is made all the sweeter as I enjoy His pleasures in stark contrast to the darkness I thought would satisfy me.
Through fellowshipping with other believers, Ben and I have been baptized and blessed with a wonderful support system.

God used the hardest valleys to make me stronger and grow my faith. I know God has had His hands on every part of my very imperfect story.

You know that person who FINALLY finds Christ as an adult?
That person who is on fire and can’t fully even explain it most times?
That’s me!
I can’t wait to see what else Jesus has in store for this restored, remade sinner!

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A Note About Sketched
In this series, we are stepping into the shoes of various characters throughout history. Some are biblical, some are well-known in modern day times, and some are people our writers know personally. We do our best to research the culture and times surrounding these individuals to give an accurate representation of their first-person perspectives on life and the world, but we can’t be 100% accurate. “Sketched” is our best interpretation of how these characters view(ed) God, themselves, and the world around them. Our hope is that by stepping into their everyday, we will see our own lives a little differently!
Enjoy!
And keep watching for Sketched Themes to pop up throughout the year!

Join the GT Community and share your thoughts!

Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Sketched VI Week Two! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Sketched VI!

Posted in: Anxious, Christ, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Love, Shame, Sketched Tagged: approval, Danielle, God's Word, His Love, perfectionism, renewing, Restored, Savior

The GT Weekend! ~ Kaleidoscope Week 2

June 29, 2019 by Rebecca 2 Comments

The GT Weekend!

At Gracefully Truthful, weekends aren’t for “checking out”.
Use this time to invite the Almighty’s fullness into you life in a deeper way!
Saturdays and Sundays are a chance to
reflect, rest, and re-center our lives onto Christ.
Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with other women in prayer,
rest your soul in reflective journaling,
and spend time worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) Only humility born out of true, genuine, unconditional love is able to love the unlovely when they least deserve it. To not think of themselves so special and important that to love another would be beneath them is the kind of love God modeled for us. Loving like this is in our everyday life is ridiculously impossible in our own human ability. Only through the power of the Holy Spirit are we able to love with strong humility like Jesus! Prayerfully consider those people, or even types of people, you feel are beneath you to love. Don’t shy away in disgust to think you could have that kind of entitlement, we all do. Be honest, and let the Lord speak tenderly to your heart, bringing His refreshing love.

2) I have been convicted of rudeness in my life recently. As the Lord opened my eyes to it, I began seeing it everywhere in how I treated others and I saw it rubbing off in how my kids treated others as well. It wasn’t blaring or blatant, but there were consistent instances of rudeness marking our days. Just as the Lord spoke to me about my rude habits, so I began speaking to my children with the same kind and gentle, yet convicting manner, “Is that a loving choice? Were you rude or generous?”. Consider doing something similar this next week and begin observing where you might be “taking the exit of Rude”. Where, or with whom, is the Lord calling you to choose love over rude?

3) “Love is not easily angered.”  If all you did this weekend was dwell on these words from the Lord, it would be a weekend well spent. It’s easy to jump into anger, isn’t it? And we almost always feel justified when we do. The next time you feel the urge to become angry, or annoyed, slow down and consider why you feel your rights have been infringed upon. Ask yourself how you are honoring and loving the other person, and the Lord, by becoming angry. Make an “easily angered” journal, noting what kind of events spark your anger. Pray for the Holy Spirit to give you His power to choose love over anger.

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from 1 Corinthians 13:3 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing

Prayer Journal
Lord God, it’s difficult for me to grasp the magnitude of Your un-ending, un-conditional love for me and all of humanity. I struggle loving the people within the four walls of my home sacrificially! I want to love better than I do. I’m not saying this with a self-pity, “I love horribly” attitude, but as genuinely and authentically as I can muster, “I want to love others better.” Remind me that “good deeds” piled end-to-end will never be anything but dust in the wind if love is not my motivator. Teach me to love like You love me. Teach my hands, my eyes, my tongue, Oh Lord my Tongue! Teach me to love that the world might see You!

Worship Through Community

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Send us an email at prayer@gracefullytruthful.com

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Comment Here or in our Facebook Community Group!

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

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Posted in: God, GT Weekend, Holy Spirit, Humility, Kaleidoscope, Love, Power, Truth Tagged: choose love, genuine, His Love, humble, sacrifical, unconditional

Gospel Day 3 So Loved

March 13, 2019 by Amy Ragsdale Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Ephesians 3:14-21
Romans 5:6-8
I John 4:7-16
Isaiah 40

Gospel, Day 3

I LOVE chocolate.
I LOVE my dog.
I LOVE Christmas.
I LOVE my niece and nephew.

Our society uses “love” in many ways with just one word.
In Greek, the original language of the New Testament, however, there are 4 different words for love:
Eros romantic love
Storge family love
Philia brotherly love
Agape God’s divine love

When I felt led to write this study, I was a little like Moses, coming up with excuses. Describe the love of God?
I don’t even understand the full love of God.
How do I explain it?

I questioned my ability to write about an ever-loving God…
whom I have doubted and, truthfully, wanted nothing to do with sometimes.
How could I write about His love?

Then, I realized there was a lot of “I” in my excuses.
Relying on MY own understanding, MY thoughts, and MY answers.
After I said “yes”, “love” became my word for 2019.

I didn’t choose “love” for my word this year; it chose me.
It started by asking God to give me a love for Him and His Word, which led to this Journey Study, which brings me to the joy of sharing what the phrase “so loved” tucked inside John 3:16 means to me.

It’s easy to focus on “love” and overlook “so”.
Such a tiny word, but it’s emphatic nature is not to be missed.
I could tell a student “You did a good on the art project.”
Or I could say, “You did SO good on the art project.”
See the difference?

The verse could say “God loved the world”.
Rather, God emphatically states He “SO loved the world.”

While God’s love is emphatic, it’s also active.
I John 4:8 says, “God IS love”.
Not “God was love” or “God is love today”, but God’s continuous love is perpetually active ever nanosecond of everyday of every millennia.

Remember our four Greek words for love?
This one in John 3:16 is agape.
While it can have strong emotion, it’s not rooted in it, making it durable, long-lasting, and dependable. This love carries genuine interest and determined dedication.

W.E. Vine says agapao “expresses the deep and constant love and interest of a perfect Being towards entirely unworthy objects, producing and fostering a reverential love in them towards the Giver, and a practical love towards those who are partakers of the same, and desire to help others to seek the Giver.” (Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words Vol III, pg 21).

How do we really understand the sheer magnitude of this love?  
Putting it into words is like attempting to describe “red” to a person with blindness.
A nearly impossible task without mutually understandable terms for colors.

Ephesians 3:17-19 describes the amazing love of God using framework language we are familiar with.
“… you being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth (width) and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge”.  

How high and wide is God’s love?
We measure in feet for walls of a house or time for the day.
Take a yardstick (in your mind) and measure God’s love.
A few inches?  The whole yardstick?

How about a different tool?
Have you tried to measure God’s love by your circumstances or your performance?
If I’m good enough, God will love me more.
I know I have.

What’s the measure of God’s love?  
His hands have gathered the seas as He holds them in His palm.
The nations are a drop in a bucket to Him.
He weighs the mountains on a countertop scale.
Who could possibly measure the vast Spirit of the Lord?!
(Isaiah 40:12-17)

At the same time He counts armies and countries as weightless, He gathers each of us as a lamb in His arms, carrying us close to His heart, and gently leading us by the hand. (Isaiah 40:11) The very same God!
His is a measuring stick without numbers!

How far-reaching is God’s love?
The death of His Son.
And then He went farther,
reaching beyond the cross,
farther than the cold grave,
to bring life.
Life that “so loves” even when we spurn and hate Him,
believing He isn’t good enough or big enough or loving enough. (Romans 5:6-8)

How deep is God’s love?
The Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean has the greatest ocean depth of 36,070 feet. If I went to the bottom of the ocean, would God’s love find me?
Our sin takes us vastly deeper than the Mariana Trench, yet God still reached down to offer His “So” emphatic, perpetual love.

Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where shall I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
(Psalm 139:7-8)

How high is God’s love?  
Do you measure Mt. Everest and say “this is as far as God can go.”
Or, “This mountain measures God’s love for me, I guess He has run out.”
Or maybe, “This marriage is breaking, I’ve maxed out God’s love.”
This child is dying.
My finances are waning.
This friendship has hurt me.
Have you found the limit of His love?

Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
You preserve my life;
You stretch out Your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
and Your right hand delivers me.
The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me;
Your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.
(Psalm 138:7-8)

“So Loved”
Beyond all circumstances, beyond all measure, beyond all fears.
His love endures.

Have you experienced this boundless, enduring love by beginning a relationship with Him?
Throw out your measuring sticks and allow His overwhelming love to surpass you, hemming you in on all sides!

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
Can we pray for you?
Sign up to receive every Journey Study!
Join our Facebook Community!

Join the GT Community and share your thoughts!

Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Gospel Week One! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Gospel!

Posted in: Deep, God, Gospel, Jesus, Overwhelmed, Perfect Tagged: Agape, Empathy, Enduring, His Love, John 3:16, So, So Loved

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